Electric circuit connection



March 2i, i933. M. W7 MCARDLE 1,901,977

I ELECIRIC CIRCUIT CONNECTION Filed Feb. 1s, 1928 2 sheds-sheet 1 'l Mib/@3507 C" @Mmm/ICI March 2l, 1933.Y l v M,'w `MARDLE' 1,901,977

` ELEcTHlccmc-UIT coNNETION Filed Feb. l5, 1.928 A2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Mar. 2l, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application mea February 1s, laas. serial xo. 253,801.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a convenient means by which an electric circuit connector constructed for con-y nection with an electrically o erated or electrically energized device, suc as an electric lamp or an electric heater, may be connected with the electric wiring system of a house or apartment so as to be ad'ustable over a relatively large range of posltionshnot lim` ited to special points at which electric sockets may be fixed in the wall or floor in connection with the wirin system. It'consists 1n the elements and eatures of construction M claims.

Figure 1 is a ont elevation of a portion of a base board formed as to its upper marginal part as a casin for extended contacts forming part of an e ectric wlrmg system m accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical staggered section of the same, the section of the part having the contact carrier being staggered as indicated at the line 2-2 on Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a front edge elevation of the element corresponding to the customary electric plug arranged for engaging a customary wall socket, said element being hereinafter called the contact carrier, because of its function of unlimited adjustability in the base board in which it is mounted for carrying the electrically conductive parts for making connection with the house wiring system which is extended into the base board as hereinafter described.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Figure 6 is a section at the line 6-6 on Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are sections at the lines 7--7 and 8-8 respectively' on Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a detail section on an enlarged scale at the line 9 9 on Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a detail longitudinal section of the casing at a part including the inter- 50 locking junction of the two consecutive secshown and described as `indicated in the' tions of the base board which comprises said casing.

Figure 11 is a detail section at the line 11-11 on Figure 10.

Figure 12 is an inverted detail plan view 55 showingthe contact carrier at the entrance aperture in the casing through which it is entered and before it has been moved in the casing away from said entrance.

Figure 13 is a transverse vertical section 60 of a modified form of the invention in which the casing has a slotted tube dimensioned for being mounted on the upper side of the plain base board, comprising the appearance of a finishing molding thereof.

Figure 14 is a section at the line 14--14 on Figure 13. v

Figure 15 is a front elevation of a preferred form of the invention as applied to a base board, being an under side plan view 7 of the same when mounted as a finishing molding on the base board showing a contact carrier 1n operative position'fully rinserted in the casing and another contact carrier on 7 the way to operative position with the con- 5 tact-carrying arms not yet turned into operative position.

Figure 16 is a partly sectional plan view of the contact carrier shown in Figure 15, separated from the. casing, section being made axially with respect to one of the contact-carrying arms.

Figure 17 is a detail section atI the line 17-17 on Figure 16.

Figure 18 is a vertical transverse section of the device mounted as a finish molding on the upper edge of a plain edged base board with the slot at the forward side.

Figure 19 is a similar view of the structure mounted as a picture moldin on a room wall with the slot at the lower si e.

In the form of the invention as shown in Figures 1 to 10, a hollow sheet metal base board, A, at its upper part constitutes a lon- 95 gitudinally extending slideway casing, A1, for a contact carrier, B, made of insulating material such as bakelite or hard rubber in which contacts, 10, 20, are mounted as hereinafter more particularl described, and con- 10c nected respectively to t e inleading current wires, 11 and 21, of the electric cord or cable, C, which is led into the carrier body through a hollow boss, 13, thereof,r which protrudes from the casing, A1, through a longitudinally extending slot, 14, formed in the lower side of an overhanging forwardly projecting hollow rib, a1, of the casing, as seen in Figure 2,

The carrier, B, is furnished with grooved rollers, 16, 16, engaging by their grooves the edges of the slot, 14, of the casing for guidinglthe carrier in the adjustment longitudina y of the casing for which the carrier is designed. On the inner surface of the bacll:v

wall of the casing there are mounted insulated by mica strips, 18, 18, conducting strips, 19 and 191, each of which is continuous throu hout each section of the casing and provi ed at some point in the length of the casin with means for connection with the electric wiring system of the house, as indicated b binding screws, 22, 22, in Figure l. In etail the contacts, 10 and 20, are mounted in the carrier, B, as seen in Figures 7 and 8, the contacts being formed with stems, 10, 201respectively, the carrier hav- -ing at the rear side recesses, 40, 40, diametered for accommodating the contact heads and being bored from said recesses to accommodate the stems of the contacts which are inserted through said bores, springs, 41, 41, being interposed in said recesses behind the contact heads, and the connecting wires being secured to the opposite ends of the stems between washers, 42, 42, and the heads Aof binding screws, 43, for which the stems are bored'and tapped, as may be understood without specific illustration. The mica insulatin strips, 18, are secured to the back wall o the casing by rivets, as indicated at 44 in Figure 9, and the conducting strips, 19 and 20, are secured to the mica insulation by interlocking lugs, 45 and 46, struck from the mica and the conducting strips, respectively,

.and interlocked, as seen in Figure 9. When construction of this character is employed for the base board extending along one side of a room or for a greater distance than can be conveniently constructed in one piece, the base board or the upper portion thereof comprising the casing, A1, will be made in sections of limited length formed for coupling together, as seen in Figure 10, one end of each section being formed with an interior rabbet adapted to receive the correspondingly opposite ends of the next section which is a finished plane, so that the inner surfaces of the coupled sections are flush, as seen in Figure 10; and the conducting strips, 19 and 20, of the rabbeted section are extended over the rabbet and beveled at the inner side at said extending portion, the end of the conducting strip of the other section being beveled upon the outer side so that in coupling the two casing sections together at the rabbet the beveled ends of the conducting strips will become interlocked over the ex- .instances to provide at some convenient point in the length of the base board an aperture at the forward side below the overhanging rib, 14, through which the contact carrier may be introduced and passed upwardly into 4the rib, 14, for engaging the grooved rollers with the edges of the slot, 14. Such an aperture is indicated at 50 in Figure 1, and the extension thereof in the lower side of the overhanging rib, a1, having the slot, 14, is seen in Figure 12, which shows theJ contact carrier as positioned at said aperture as having been introduced therethrough ready to be moved longitudinally in the slot, 14, for engaging the grooved rollers with the edges of the slot as above described.

Upon consideration of this structure thus far described it may be understood that in a room equipped with such a construction, any number of electric connections may be made by electric cords carrying at one end the contact carrier, B, and at the other end adapted to be connected with any electrically energized device, as a lamp or electric heater, and that the connection may be adjusted to any point in the length of the casing, A1, and all the devices thus connected will derive current from the wiring system of the house through the single connection made with the contact strips at the binding posts.

In Figures 13 and 14 there is shown a' modified 'form of the invention in which the casing is a round tube, Ax, slotted at one side throughout its length, as seen at 50, and having the insulating strips, 18, and conducting strips, 19 and 191, mounted within a zone of about 90 opposite the slot, the contact carrier, 60, with its stem, 61, protruding through the slot and carrying insulating contacts, 62 and 63, accessible through the stem for contact by the contact terminals, 65, 65, of a customary form of circuit connecting plug, the form and operation being in all respects substantially the same as of the corresponding parts in the form of the invention shown in the preceding figures.

In Figures 16 and 19, there is shown upon an enlarged scale a third and preferred form of the invention in which the casing, AY, is in the form of a tube designed in cross section to be mounted on the upper edge of a plane base board and to present the appearance of a finished molding thereof, and also adapted to be mounted as a picture molding on the wall of an apartment, the cross sectional outline being such that for serving the two purposes, or being `mounted in the two positions mentioned, it is turned 90o from the position suitable for one of said uses to a position suitable for the other use.

In this preferred construction Athe body, 70, of the contact carrier is not necessarily made of insulating materia-l, but on the contrary, may be of metal, and as shown it has a longitudinally extended foot, 71, which carries at each end rollers, 72, for which a guideway-is formed on the back wall ofthe casing by shaping the tube in cross section to present at. the back an inwardly facing channel, 75; and the conducting strips, 19 and 19a, are mounted on the opposite inner wall of the casing at opposite sides of the longitudinal slot, 76. And for carrying the contacts, 90, 90, to make electrical contact with and travel upon the conducting strips, 19 and 19, there are mounted on the carrier body, and forming part of the carrier, rockers, 80, 81,` which project out through theslot, 76, and are exteriorly accessible for manipulation. Y

The body, 70, ofthe carrier has two bosses, 70a, 70", which are bored axially and counterbored each to a shoulder, 7 0, shown with respect to the right hand rocker in Figure 16,

and provided at the front and rear sides res ectively with bayonet slots, 7 Od. The roc ers are each reduced in diameter at the inner end, as seen at 80a in Figure 16 with respect to the rocker, 80, forming shoulders, 80, for stopping on the ends of the bosses, a, respectively, and further reduced at the end as seen at 80", for fitting in and protruding through the bosses, 70, respectively, and Jforming shoulders, 80, between which and the bottoms of the bores in the bosses, respectively, coil springs, 82, are interposed for a function hereinafter explained. Each rocker is terminated at its outer end with a knurled knob, 80d, to facilitate manipulation. The rockers carry transverse arms formed by the contact members, 90, 90, which at their outer ends are provided with contact rollers, 91, 91. Said contact members are mounted insulatedly in the rockers, the rockers being for that purpose bored from the outer end to receive insulating sleeves, 95, which are axially bored as seen at 95a to accommodate the split terminals, 93, of the contact members respectively from which terminals the contact members extend transversely, that is, radially withy respect to the rockers for protruding out through the sideV of the rockers respec tively which is apertured for that purpose as seen at 80. For completing the insulation of the contact member in the rocker, an insulating strip, 96, s interposed under the transversely extending arm of the contact, as seen in Figure 16. For cooperating with the bayonet slots, 7 0d, the rockers have each a pin, 80, projecting radially from the rocker for engaging said slot. v

From the foregoing description it may be understood that the rockers are adapted to be rotated ninety degrees in the bosses in which they are mounted, to carry the transversely projecting arms formed by the contact members from position of alignment with the carrier foot, 71, and with the slot, 76, in the casing to positions at which the contacts project transversely of the slot, one to one side and the other to the other side, and that when turned to said transverse positions the contact rollers, 91, are positioned for riding upon the conducting strips, 19 and 19a, respectively, and that the springs, 82, reacting upon the rockers stress the contact rollers against the conducting strips for maintaining the circuit connection. When the transversely projecting contact arms are aligned with the slot, the entire carrier with the parts mountedthereon can be Iintroduced bodily through the slot into the casing. In this position of said arms it will be understood that the pins, 80f, stand in the circumferentially extending portion of the bayonet slots, and

that when the carrier has been inserted into the casing and the rockers are turned ninety degrees in opposite directions to bring the plus into registration with the bayonet slot openings, the reaction of the springs, 82,

order to remove the carrier with the contacts from the casing the operator must forcibly thrust the rockers inward to bring the pins into alignment with the circumferentially extending portion of the bayonet slots in order that the 'same may be rotated to carry the transversely extending contact arms into alignment with the casing slot.

I claim:

1. A construction for the purpose indi# cated comprising a longitudinally hollow casing member having at one side a longitudinally extended slot and having two parallel longitudinally extending electrically conductive strips insulatedly mounted within said casing, the casing having means at some point in its length for connecting said conductive strips in circuit with a source of current; a contact carrier having an insulating body adapted to be introduced into the casing and to he guided in the slot for movement longitudinallv of the casing; electrical contacts mounted on said carrier in position for bearing on the conductive strips'respectively as the carrier is moved along the slot, the means for mounting the contacts respectively on the carrier body consisting or short rockers rotatably mounted in the carrier body positioned and dimensioned for entering the contacts thereof into contact vwith the conducting strips respectively; whereby said rocker adapts the carrier for entering into the casing through the slot and serves also f .for locking it in the casing when thus entered.

2. A constructionfor the purpose indicated comprising a longitudinally hollow casingy member having at one side a longitudinally extended slot and having two parallel longitudinally extending electrically conductive strips insulatedly mounted within said casing, the casing having means at some point in its length for connecting said conductive lstrips in circuit with a'sour'ce of current;

a contact carrier having an insulating body adapted to be introduced into the casing and to be guided in the slot for movement longitudinally of the casing; electrical contacts mounted on said carrier in position for bearing on the'conductive strips respectively as the carrier is moved along the slot, and means for mounting the contacts respectively on the contact carrier consisting of short rockers rotatively mounted in the carrier body positioned and dimensioned for entering through the casing slot and having each a short transversely projecting inner end terminal and transversely dimensioned for entering through the slot when the rocker is turned to align with the terminal of the slot, said transverse terminals comprising the contacts ,mounted insulatedly in the rockers respectively, the rockers having each a portion exteriorly exposed for manual operation to turn .the rocker in the carrier to project the transverse terminal transversely. of the slot and carry the contacts into contact with the conducting strips respectively, the rockers having axial a rtures opening through insulation at their exposed outer ends for admitting the terminals of a circuit connecting lplug into contact within the rockers respectively with the insulated contact terminals thereof.

3. A construction for the pur ose indicated comprising a longitudlnal y hollow .casing member having at one side a longitudinally extending slot and having two parallel longitudinally extending electrically conductive strips mounted within said casing, the casing having means at some point in its lengthor connecting said conductive strips in circuit with a source of current; a contact carrier having an insulating body February, 1928.

:adapted to be introduced into the casing and to be ided in the slot for movement longitudina (y of the casing; electrical contacts mounte on said carrier in position for bearing on the conductive strips respectively as' the carrier is moved along the slot, the casing bemg adapted to be mounted as a terthrough the casin -from within the cavity thereof, the ,casing aving holes for that purpose at the side to be lodged on the baseboard and having other holes at the opposite side ahgned wlth the first holes respectively forI admitting a tool for applying the securef ments.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chlcago, Illinois, this 10 day of MICHAEL W. MCARDLE. 

